Far From Home
by livandletliv
Summary: When Sam has an accident while training Tempest she is sent back to live with her aunt sue in San Francisco, where Jake is now attending college. Flick is released from jail and comes to San Francisco Seeking revenge on Sam and Jake, troubles ensue. SAKE
1. Prologue

**_Wyatt picked up the phone and began to dial…_**

"Hey Tempest" Sam eased over towards the black filly while balancing a saddle on her left arm. She placed the saddle on the ground for the filly's inspection. This was a routine that they had been through before so Tempest only spared the saddle a glance before returning to grazing.

**_"Hullo? Jake Ely here…"_**

Slowly Sam lifted the saddle up off the ground. This was going to be the first time Sam put it on Tempests back. The curious filly's head jerked up from her patch of grass and her black satiny ears pricked in Sam's direction.

**_"Jake, there's been an accident…"_**

"Hey pretty girl," Sam crooned, "we're just going to see how this saddle feels on you back, ok sweetie?" Dallas, or Dad, or Jake would have chastened her for asking the horses permission but since Sam was doing this alone she only took a step closer and lifted the saddle towards Tempests back. The filly's only reaction was to stretch her nose forward for a sniff. "That's right there's nothing to be afraid of, you know I'd never hurt you sweet baby, you're fine…" Sam continued to babble nonsense as she edged closer to the filly.

**_"She didn't get kicked this time but…"_**

Slowly she lowered the old leather saddle onto tempest's back. She sidestepped a little but Sam thought she mostly just seemed curious. Sam hummed under her breath as she allowed Tempest to get used to the saddle.

_**"The doctors say that bump against the fence…"**_

As she hummed she tightened the cinch, one notch, two notches, then another, and another, until it was snug around the filly's barrel. "There now," Sam murmured, "That's not so bad is it?" apparently the filly agreed, because she dropped her head back down to graze. Sam sat down cross-legged and watched her filly as she grazed.

_**"…Well it triggered something that happened to her brain in the accident…"**_

Sam figured she'd let the Tempest get used to the saddle for a few minutes more. She tensed as Tempest sank down on her knees, then relaxed as she realized she was just going to roll over for a dust bath. But Tempest couldn't roll with a saddle on. The filly realized that at the same time Sam did.

_**"They say it could happen again, any time…"**_

She lurched to her feet and gave a halfhearted buck to dislodge it, that didn't work and she bucked again, harder this time. As she did the stirrups came up and landed back on the filly's black hide with a loud 'thump'. Tempest went ballistic. She careened around the pasture attempting to dislodge her supposed attacker. Sam longed to be able to tell her that nothing was going to hurt her, that the saddle on her back was an inanimate object, and it only moved because she did. To late, Sam realized where she was. She was in Tempests pasture, less than twenty feet from the crazed horse that was getting closer all the time. SITTING in Tempest's pasture. She scrambled up and almost made it to the gate as Tempest's hindquarters slammed into her. Almost. She was slammed into the fence and she felt her head bang the top bar, and then everything went black.

**_"I have to send her back to San Francisco Jake…"_**

When Sam woke up she didn't know where she was. She was lying in a bed but it wasn't her own, the sheets were white, the walls were white, and there was a blue curtain dividing the room in half. Everything smelled like disinfectant and something was poking her wrist. _Oh._ She was in the hospital. Again. Sam felt as though someone had socked her in the stomach.

"… _**I understand…"**_

She looked over at the chair beside her bed, from which came a faint snoring. Her Dad lay stretched out asleep in it. "Dad?" He stirred and then his eyes opened wide as he looked at her. "Hey Dad," Sam said weakly. He jumped up and hugged her.

"We were so worried honey, it felt just like the last time, waiting for you to wake up here in the hospital…" he murmured into her hair.

"…_**Jake?"**_

They just stared at each other for a moment after Dad released her. "It wasn't Tempest's fault," Sam blurted, "she tried to get it off, and the stirrups flapped on her side, and she got scared and…" Sam drew a breath. Wyatt nodded but the hard, pained expression he wore took Sam only a few seconds to decipher. "No! Dad PLEASE don't send me back to San Francisco," Sam begged.

**_"I don't know if she'll come back but…"_**

He looked down, "I'm afraid I have to, you'll be able to come back in a couple of years"

"No, Dad that's just it! I won't" Sam nearly shouted on desperation, "in two years I'll be going to collage and it'll be at least four years before I'm finished with that, then what?" He looked up and for a second Sam saw the hurt and surprise on his face before his expression went totally blank.

"The decisions been made Samantha, you're just going to have to accept it." Dad stood and walked out of the room with Sam staring blindly after him.

**_"Please take care of her for me."_**


	2. Jake's mental tangent

**Thank you to my first reviewers!:**

**way2boredhorseluvr ****cattiedanty ****womd ****cowgirl ****RiverBendCowgirl ****God'srider**

**Thanks all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**

**ok I know this is an extremely short chapter and i promise to make the next one longer, with the beginning of SAKE!!! **

**if you want to read more then review! ;p**

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"I will," Jake promised. He gently laid the phone down and sat back down on his bed with a sigh.

A single voice kept repeating in his head, "That bump against the fence, well it triggered something that happened to her brain in the accident." Jake let his head fall into his hands. He'd ruined her life. If he had just taken care of that stupid fence himself instead of making Sam do it…

Now that he was in collage, now that he didn't have the horses, or Three Ponies Ranch, or River Bend Ranch, or anything that reminded him of home, he understood how she had longed for the ranch and its horses those two years she was in San Francisco. And it was all his fault.

He couldn't face her. _Except_, he amended quietly. Except he was dying to see her, except he had promised Wyatt that he would watch over her, except the thought of seeing her, of seeing anyone, or anything that reminded him of home made him crazy with anticipation. It was that second _except_ that he couldn't get past, the rest he could live with, it would make him miserable sure, but he could live with it. It was his fault she had gotten hurt to begin with though, Wyatt had asked him to take care of her, but maybe she was safer without him.

Jake let out a humorless laugh, who was he kidding? Samantha Anne Forster didn't need his help- or anyone else's for that matter- getting in trouble. She could do that all by herself. And so he would keep his promise to Wyatt and get to see her just like he wanted. He would meet her at the airport pretending like he didn't blame himself for the whole mess –she'd just get ticked off at him and they'd have a fight if he told her that- and he'd look into those beautiful eyes- for a moment Jake was stunned beyond thought.

Then he started mentally slapping himself. He was NOT going to fall on love with Samantha. Was he crazy????? He didn't think that would be a good question to explore, but no wonder he'd been so sappy when he thought of her lately. There was no changing it though; it was like he just couldn't help himself. He would still have to be there to prevent Sam from getting some deathly injury or having some other mishap, but he would be miserable every minute of it, knowing that he wasn't good enough for her, that he wasn't good for her period, and that it didn't matter anyway because Sam would only ever like him as a friend. Suddenly another thought came to his mind, what if she did like him? That would certainly complicate everything. But that too, was NOT a good question to explore.

Here were the facts:

Sam was flying in at 10:30 AM tommorow.

A certain Jake Ely was going to meet her at the airport.

That certain Jake Ely, was, in fact, in love with the Sam that he was going to meet at the airport.

Jake groaned, and yet, for all the misery that he felt sure was waiting for him around the corner he couldn't suppress a small spurt of excitement.

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**ohhhhhhh! and I nearly forgot to mention, that longer chapter that I promised, I will post it as soon as I get 6 reviews. :)**

**so hit that little button that says review! plz thnks! **

**liv;p**


	3. Merry go round

**ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!! finally!!!!!!!!!!!!! **

**I am sooooooo sorry I took so long to update and I know I said I would do it when I got so many reviews but school just started (doesnt saying that just take the light out of your day?) and I was to busy to post anything new.**

**Liv;p**

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There were tons of people in the terminal when Sam got off the plane, but one man drew her attention in particular. He was a big man, lean, but tall and broad shouldered with russet skin and short black hair. He wore a gray university sweatshirt, jeans, and running shoes. Sam thought he looked handsome. When he turned, and his brown mustang eyes met hers she smiled. It was Jake.

As he walked towards her Sam realized there was a lump in her throat that she couldn't swallow. _I won't cry, I won't cry, I won't cry…_ she chanted to herself. Then, suddenly, of their own accord, her feet began carrying her towards him. He smiled and in two long strides he was there, wrapping her in a bear hug. He pressed his face into her hair and Sam heard a loud sniffing sound. "What?" Sam asked.

"You still smell like Nevada," he told her. Sam wanted to ask what Nevada smelled like to him, but he'd already started rubbing the back of his neck at having said such a thing, and Sam had just sighted Aunt Sue out of the corner of her eye. The small blond woman was smiling at her and fidgeting. Jake released Sam and she saw a glimpse of denim before Aunt Sue enveloped her in yet another vice-tight hug. When Aunt Sue released her Sam wiped her eyes and her hand came back with moisture on it. Sam sniffed, _darn_, so much for not crying.

They headed for baggage claim and, with much protesting on Sam's part, Jake slung both of her bags over his shoulder. As they wound their way through the airport towards the parking deck Sam sensed a tension brewing between her and Aunt Sue. She thought Sam's life at the ranch was dangerous, and it was, Aunt Sue just couldn't see that it was worth the price the way Sam could. And Jake seemed tense too, probably because of the accident. It was hard to tell though, Sam could just be imagining it. Jake was silent as a stone most of the time, today should be no different. _Right now Ace would be better company than these two. _

When the reached the car Jake dumped her stuff in the trunk and tried to make his getaway, mumbling something that sounded like, "see ya later" when Aunt Sue stopped him. "You'll join us for a welcome back dinner for Sam this evening won't you Mr. Ely?" Jake rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yes Ma'am, where will it be?"

"Fisherman's Warf seven o'clock sharp."

_Welcome back party? _Sam wondered. That was nice of Aunt Sue, but the thing was, Sam hadn't wanted to come back. Not like this anyway, a visit would have been nice, Sam just didn't want to come _live _here. Suddenly Sam felt queasy. Just how many people had Aunt Sue invited to this 'welcome back party' anyway? As if she had read her mind, Aunt Sue told her, "I only invited Pam and her mother, and a girl from your old basketball team named Mallory." Sam guessed that wasn't so bad. Pam had been her best friend in San Francisco, and Mallory was always nice, even though she had been pretty stressed out the last year Sam had known her because her parents were going through a divorce.

"That's fine then," Sam told Aunt Sue.

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It was a nice evening to be out. Seagulls called overhead and there were just enough clouds to make the sun that was setting over San Francisco Bay beautiful. Sam sat sandwiched between Jake and Pam, and as she sipped her strawberry lemonade she smelled warm garlic bread. Aunt Sue and Pam's mother sat together at one table on the outdoor patio, while the teenagers sat at another. Sam glanced across the table at Mallory. This girl was different from the one she remembered, the old Mallory had pretty, light brown hair that fell in ringlets down past her shoulders, this Mallory had black hair that was still long, but strait and kind of limp. She wore heavy mascara, eye liner, black jeans, and a white and black tee-shirt with two guns across it. As her black fingernails flicked her hair back out of her eyes Sam new she shouldn't judge the girl by her appearance-which honestly wasn't that bad- but... Sam made herself admit it, the way Mallory _looked_ at Jake, made Sam feel about ten times more jealous than she had when Rachel had been flirting with Jake, and Sam couldn't figure out just _why _that was.

Just then Mallory tried, inconspicuously, to scoot closer to Jake. Sam noticed and copied her movement.

This was going to become an issue.

Sam looked away from Jake, who, completely oblivious, was feasting ravenously on his plate of Seafood, towards Pam. Poor Pam sat all by herself, a little embarrassed looking, at the other end of the table. Sam almost laughed, but then stopped when she met Mallory's eyes, the girl didn't plan on moving away from Jake anytime soon. It bothered Sam, but she scooted back over next to Pam just like the good friend she was. After all, Sam didn't want the poor girl to think she stank or something.

It was almost too much for her to take when Mallory scooted up closer to Jake, so far over that their elbows were touching. That is, until Jake politely scooted over towards Sam a little so that Mallory could have some room. It gave Sam a spurt of satisfaction but, once again, Pam was all by herself a the other end of the table. Sam sighed and reluctantly slid away from Jake towards Pam. This continued for the rest of dinner, along with strained conversation, and by the time they got up to leave, Sam could have sworn she had been looking out at Sam Francisco Bay but now she was facing the big bay window of the restraunt. It seemed to Sam that Jake had been oblivious to the entire merry-go-round game at the table but she noticed that as they left he made sure to sandwich himself between her and Aunt Sue. Sam was neatly pressed into his side and she barely kept herself from glancing back at Mallory and sticking her tongue out at her.

_

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**uggggg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! another too short chapter!!!!!! **

**Well I redid it and I don't really like it so if you guys don't like it either then leave a review or PM me telling me what I'm doing wrong and what I need to change.**

**well tell me what you think, I understand if you think it is totally craptastic right now.**

**Thanks!!!!!!**

**liv;p**


	4. Gunsots and wounds

**Hey guys finally!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**

**just to mention, if you have already read chapter 3 and just skipped over it then go back to it and re-read it (you don't have to re-read the whole thing if you're desperately lazy but since I haven't UD'ed in ages it would be helpful) because I added to it and made It a longer chapter.**

**Thanks, enjoy!!!!!**

**liv;p**

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They had fallen into a routine over the last few weeks. On Mondays after they finished their homework they would watch a movie at Sam's Aunt's apartment and on Tuesdays and Thursdays they would help out at a local stable. Today was a movie day, and Sam was taking a pizza out of the oven while Jake leaned against the counter, reading a book, when the doorbell rang. Sam looked up.

"I'll get it," Jake sighed, put the book down, and walked down the hall towards the door.

Sam peered around the corner at Jake, who stood in front of the doorway with the door opened just a crack in front of him, as a matter of a fact, if she looked a little closer it seemed like the chain slide was still in its holder, that was odd. Sam only had a second to ponder, Jake turned around towards her, mouthing something and motioning wildly with his hands. Sam couldn't decipher it all but one thing in particular registered in her brain.

_Flick_, he mouthed. He pointed towards the only slightly opened door. Sam's face went white. Jake was motioning for her to go out the back door.

But what about Jake? Would he be able to hold off Flick?

Yes, she decided, better than she would anyway. Sam ran for it. The ground was about three stories below. Sam panicked for a second until she remembered the fire escape, which she traversed in 45 seconds flat. She slipped around the corner of the building, into an alleyway, to wait for Jake. Suddenly Sam heard a sound she recognized.

A gunshot.

Jake.

So, of course, Sam did the stupidest thing she could have done. She ran _towards_ the gunshot. She spun around the corner and ran smack dab into a large figure. He grabbed her and drug her back around the corner of the building and down the alleyway.

"What is wrong with you?" Whispered a familiar voice angrily.

"Jake! Are you okay?whodoyouthinkyou'recallingcrazyhuh?" Sam turned to look at him.

"I'm calling you crazy, if for no other reason than the fact that _normal _people generally don't run _towards_ gunshots." Sam noticed that Jake was breathing a little heavily.

"Scared?" She asked.

"Yeah, but Flick's got nothing on you in the **scare-the-living-begebies-out-of-Jake-department**."

"Me?"

"Who else apparently has a secret goal to put themselves in mortal peril at least once a week?"

"OK, now you're exaggerating"

"and there weren't even horses involved this time, what a crock!"

"He's still in there. Do you think he'll come out after us?" Sam queried.

"Flick isn't the sharpest tool in the shed, but this is the middle of San Francisco, he's not stupid enough to come out in the middle of a crowded city and start shooting at two teenagers Sam."

Sam's face went paler than a ghost and she pointed towards the balcony of her Aunt's apartment.

"Jake, look behind you."

There stood Flick, holding a gun, standing on the balcony. He began to speak, probably some speech about how if they went quietly then he wouldn't harm them, but Jake shoved Sam down the alley towards the parking lot and they both took off running like their tails were on fire. Jake only glanced back once, when he heard the gun fire, Flick had lifted it to the sky, and then walked resolutely back into the apartment.

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They stood, panting, beside Jake's beat up blue truck. Sam looked scared and Jake couldn't take his eyes off her wide brown ones.

Sam gulped. "Jake that was close." He nodded. Suddenly, the silence became tense, Jake could barely breathe, but he still couldn't take his eyes off Sam either.

Sam felt something that was akin to the jealousy she had experienced at the Fisherman's Wharf, or perhaps it was the _cause_ of that jealousy. Then Jake couldn't take it any longer, he leaned down and kissed her on the lips. It wasn't a quick kiss either. For what seemed like billions of years, they both leaned into it. But then Jake broke off, shaking his head.

"I'm not- not good for you," he choked out, he stepped back, but his hand still rested on her shoulder, keeping her from turning away. Sam wasn't planning on doing so any time soon though, so it really wasn't necessary. She looked angry. For a moment she stood there, sputtering.

"Jake Ely- Jake whats wro- you're nuts- Not good en-" Then suddenly the realization of rejection took over. She looked down, shaking her shoulder free of Jakes grasp and climed into his truck.

Jake stood there in the parking lot, looking lost.

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**Ha!!!!!!! you guys should feel lucky!**

**I think this is the firsttime i have ever left you at a cliffe!!!!!!! (well sorta)**

**look for the next chappy soon!!!!!!**

**hope you enjoyed, you know the drill Read and Review!!!!!!!!!!**

**liv;p**


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